Thread: Defender handling

Welcome to the forum
I used to have a Tdi300 1998 Disco with Bilstein shocks and King springs.
Now I have a Defender (1994) with standard coils and Delphi Decarbon shocks.
I like more the handling of the Defe, perhaps it is because the 110 WB.
Towing the an over a ton trailer the Defe it is heaps better than my old Disco.
Cheers

I'm in a '02 Defender and I don't reckon they are that bad. Depends on the road but I don't have any problems sitting on 60-80 km/hr on unsealed corrugated roads with standard coils & shocks. How fast do want to be going towing a van? It is a live axle vehicle and won't handle like an independant suspended vehicle, something the 4wd mags seem to forget or bag because it is "old technology" but they seem to forget the benefits that this brings


Cheers
JLo

If you are talking "new" Defender, then I can have some input. I have gone from an HSE D3 2006 Disco to a new Defender 110 crew cab.
My HSE the Defender certainly isn't (52k verses 90k) - but I am amazed at the handling of the new Defer and also it's towing efficiency (read torque). It pulls like a steam train. I previously also had 3 TD5s and these were very good, however one was a manual and it left a lot to be desired in the towing department - turbo lack.
I find the Defender comfortable, paricularly in regards to the stiffened suspension against my air riding D3. The handling of this machine was a pleasant surprise.

Land Rovers are renowned for their handling on dirt. I find it farcical!

Ours certainly is excellent on dirt.

It is fantastic on dirt, corrugations and anything you can throw at it. I tow a Kimberley Kamper, live at the end of several hundred kilometres of dirt track and have no problems. The genuine shocks will last about 20,000km and then I would replace these with something that handles heat better. I have Koni Raid shocks now and whilst they are expensive they have improved the handling even more.

I hate to cast a pall over all this furious agreement but I actually preferred my Disco on corrugated roads.

Particularly after I had Bilsteins and Lovell springs installed with polyairs.

I find under some circumstances that the Defender tends on some corrugations to skip sideways.

It behaves better with the rear loaded. Tyre pressures might also influence the handling when unloaded.

When it comes time to renew the shocks I'm thinking of also lightening up the rear springs and installing polyairs.

Then again I could blame the driver's technique. ;-)

Originally Posted by one_iota

I hate to cast a pall over all this furious agreement but I actually preferred my Disco on corrugated roads.

Particularly after I had Bilsteins and Lovell springs installed with polyairs.

I find under some circumstances that the Defender tends on some corrugations to skip sideways.

It behaves better with the rear loaded. Tyre pressures might also influence the handling when unloaded.

When it comes time to renew the shocks I'm thinking of also lightening up the rear springs and installing polyairs.

Then again I could blame the driver's technique. ;-)

Mahn after a D1 and a D2 I'd prefer either of my Defenders on a corrugated road. Tyre pressures really do come in to play as does the suspension but I found that both Disco's tended to skip sideways a lot worse than either Defender does.

I had an early disco and now have a defender. I reckon they both handle pretty well on the dirt and corrugations. I don't think there is much between them - just the disco is quiet and defender is loud and everything rattles. On rare occasions both had a tendency for the back end to get upset and quickly step out of line sideways. This would happen even on straight roads if you hit a particularly rough patch. Nothing that a bit of opposite lock won't fix if your quick.